24. Iris
Iris
It happens damn near in an instant. One moment I’m comforting Adam, trying to stop him from completely spiraling, and then the next I’m staring at pissed off, depthless eyes.
Instinctually, I take a step back, the book still in my hands as the Slayer glares down at the offensive book.
“Where…where did you get that?” he grates the words out, and it’s almost like he’s trying to hold himself together.
My wards don’t kick him out, and shockingly, I don’t feel afraid of him.
“I stole it from Adam’s family,” I say plainly.
“Why?” he questions.
Okay, Iris, what can I say to not piss the Slayer off? What will keep him in this fucking house?
“Because this book needed to be out of human hands.” I hope the answer is enough for him, but he raises an eyebrow at me.
“And you needed to speak to Adam, because?”
“It can’t be read by a supernatural being. I needed to know what it said. Adam had the right to know that his family didn’t have access to the book.”
The Slayer laughs, though it’s not with humor.
“You’re not a very believable liar, my Iris. What, did you think you could separate me from this vessel?” he asks, taking a step closer to me, invading my space, though he makes sure to not touch the book or me. “We are one now. The only way we will ever be separated is through the true death.”
He takes a deep breath.
“The book will need to be destroyed either way, but there’s no getting rid of me unless you plan on killing me yourself and killing Adam in the process.”
“Will you wait a second and let me explain?” I ask him, trying to figure out how I can truly explain what my original plan was but that I’d changed my mind.
He backs away from me, going around me to the bathroom, where he slams the door so hard it makes me jump.
Scarlett looks up at me with wide eyes.
“Well, that didn’t go great. I’ll go check on him,” she says, trotting along the floor and scratching against the bathroom door. Shockingly, he cracks the door open, letting my familiar in before shutting the door again.
“Shit,” I hiss out, gingerly closing the book and placing it on one of my higher shelves.
I’m not sure what part of the whole situation has me more upset. The fact that I stole this book, and it’s basically useless, that Adam wants to totally give up, or that the Slayer is upset with me. This is all some sort of tragic fucked-up mess.
The Slayer doesn’t leave the bathroom, so I use the sink to wash up and get dressed for the day. It’s an hour later, and he still hasn’t left, but Scarlett does.
“Is he alright?” I ask her and my familiar looks at me like she’s also displeased with my behavior. Never once has Scarlett ever been upset with me.
“You’ve hurt his feelings. You know, he’s very delicate.”
“You’re taking his side?”
“Sit, please,” she says, and for whatever reason, I do, taking a seat at the table as she jumps up, jostling a few puzzle pieces. “Now, you know that you’re my favorite person and that will never change, and that’s also why I must be completely honest with you.”
“I didn’t mean to hurt him. I’m so confused between what’s this mate connection and what’s real and I’ve never felt some of these feelings before and it’s all so confusing and I just want to please everyone,” I blurt it all out.
Scarlett sighs and nudges my head with her own. “Becoming a witch’s familiar is out of our hands, did you know that?”
My brows furrow, wondering where she’s going with this. “The magic connects the right witch with the right familiar.”
Scarlett turns her head. “Something like that, but neither of us has a choice. We’re bound by magic that we don’t fully understand, but nonetheless we’re bonded. You’re my best friend and I would do anything for you. Would you do the same for me?”
“You know I would,” I say fiercely, I love her so much and I’d protect her with my life.
“Then what makes the magic between you and the Slayer so different? We’re both predators.
We were both brought to you by forces we can’t understand.
I know change is hard for you, but it’s hard for him as well.
It’s okay to not have all the answers, it’s also okay to let emotions not logic lead you sometimes.
Explain to him your reasoning and give this a chance, Iris. You both deserve happiness.”
She leaves me with those words, leaving the apartment likely to hunt.
Worst part? I think she’s right.
It’s been hours, and he still hasn’t left the bathroom. With every minute, I feel worse about what I’ve done.
He read right through my bullshit, and he barely even called me out on it. Instead, he walked away and locked himself in the bathroom. There were no hurled insults. He didn’t want to hurt me…no; it was me who hurt him.
I tap on the bathroom door with an "I’m sorry” sandwich on a plate.
“Slayer, are you hungry?” He doesn’t answer and I tap again. “Slayer, please open the door.”
“I don’t want to,” he says through the door and I sigh.
“I have a sandwich for you.”
“Do not care.”
“At least the book isn’t in the wrong hands now and we can figure out how to destroy it.”
He doesn’t respond again and I slide down against the wall, placing the plated remorse sandwich on the floor next to me.
“You’re right. I got the book so that I could figure out a way to separate you and Adam, at least that’s what I planned at first. I thought by doing that I could solve everyone’s problems. Adam could go back to normal, some ancestral curse wouldn’t tether me to someone I don’t even know, and Ember could be with her mate.
I changed my mind before I got the book.
I knew I couldn’t send you there, if that means anything.
I treated you unfairly, and I’m sorry, Slayer.
You didn’t do anything wrong to me, you’ve been nothing but patient.
I might not agree with what you do to vampires but I know it’s not your fault.
I know what’s happening to Adam isn’t your fault either.
So, I’m sorry I judged you and that I tried to get rid of you. It won’t ever happen again.”
“Your friend, she’s mated to a disgusting vampire?”
“That’s the only thing you got out of my apology?” I say, and I can’t help the slight smirk that takes over my face.
“That’s the worst part of that statement,” he says, and I can almost picture how disgusted he is by this thought.
“Do you think we could start over? With some caveats, of course.”
“Start over?” he mimics through the door.
“Yeah, like pretend the last few days haven’t happened and start anew.”
“Like a new cycle?” he says so innocently and my heart breaks a little more, Scarlett’s words ringing around my head.
I might have a hard time getting used to what his nature is, but I’ve shown him no compassion at all.
I’ve written him off because it was easier.
I’m going to work harder to meet the Slayer where he’s at.
Acting as if I could make this all go away was foolish and I should’ve known better.
It doesn’t mean that the Slayer and I will ever be true mates, at least not in the sense he’s hoping for, but it doesn’t mean that we can’t be friends.
“Yes, a new cycle and in this one you aren’t trying to murder my best friend’s mate and you aren’t suppressing Adam completely in the body.”
“This cycle sounds horrible,” he says and I have to resist a laugh.
“But in this cycle we could become friends.”
“But I’m not your friend, I’m your mate.”
My head thunks against the wall as he says the words and I try to think of what I should say next.
“I know you’ve waited a long time to meet me, that you’ve been through more than I could ever imagine, but you have to realize this is all new to me. We only met a few days ago. What’s so wrong with being friends?”
There’s a long pause on the other side of the door before it cracks open. He towers over me as he looks down at me with his dark eyes. Surprisingly, you’d think they lack emotion, but they don’t. The Slayer wears his heart on his sleeve, and that’s a lot for me to take in.
“I can be your friend, but you’ll always be my mate. I can not simply change that because we have decided this is a new cycle,” he says it so assuredly, and I know there’s no point in arguing.
“Alright.”
“It’s going to be very hard to not brutally shove a stake into that vampire’s heart and watch the life leave his eyes, but for you I will try.”
I try to hold back my grimace as he describes it so simply.
“And Adam?”
“This is something I need more time to think about. I’ve never shared time with a vessel before and even though this is a new cycle, I’m still frustrated with the betrayal.”
I take a deep breath as the Slayer leans against the doorframe.
“Did you kill his family to get the book?”
“What! No, I didn’t kill them,” I say shocked and the Slayer smiles. “Wait. Did you just make a joke on purpose?”
He shrugs. “Perhaps I’m full of more surprises than you realize.”
The Slayer leans down, his face so close to mine, and my breath hitches as he smiles and grabs his sandwich before heading to the couch.
For a long moment, I’m dumbfounded as I sit there and watch him casually take up space in my apartment. Did that apology really go that well, or was the Slayer playing me? I grab my sandwich and join him on the couch.
“So are you going to tell me the full reason you made me make that vow?” he asks.
I consider lying. Will telling him the vampire council is here make things worse? He arches a dark eyebrow at me.
“Obviously, you don’t want me killing your friend’s disgusting, old, decrepit mate, but there must be something else. Something you told Adam, perhaps?” he says Adam’s name like a slur.
“I’m worried if I tell you that you’re going to freak out.”
“I do not freak out,” he says deadpan and I narrow my eyes at him.
“You just spent hours avoiding me in my bathroom.”
“Well, it was not as if I could leave the house and slay a vampire to rid myself of these feelings, ones I’ve never experienced before, by the way.”
“You’re really laying the guilt on thick, Slayer.”
He smirks and I sigh. “The vampire council, they’re roaming all the nearest parishes hunting you down.”
I expect him to crack his knuckles and declare that he needs to go out and kill them all, but he shocks me. Instead, his face is taken over by one of his manic grins as he pauses, eating to stare at me.
“Are you saying you don’t want me killed, little mate?” I blink at him and he laughs. “You do not need to answer. I already know the truth. It’s fine. I shall be your friend until you realize that friendship is not enough.”
My cheeks heat, and I quickly find my food very interesting, staring down at my plate. The truth of the matter is that I didn’t want him killed, not just because he’s attached to Adam. Not that I’m ready to or will ever admit that to the Slayer.
We can be friends, we can work together and that just has to be enough for now. We’re starting a new cycle and I’m grateful that we can start off on better footing.
I didn’t know what the future holds, but I have to come to terms that the Slayer is a part of it, and maybe it won’t be the worst thing after all.